LETTER TO TOM SMEETON FROM (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M01152R000500640002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 20, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

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\~tE G OLL 85-3956
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
J Office of Legislative Liaison
,
\
% Washington, D. C. 20505
Telephone: 35144-2t-!0 /36
20 Dec 1985
TO: Mr. Tom Sn eeton
Committee on Foreign Affairs
House of Representatives
Washington. D.C. 20515
Per our conversation with Tracy
Ruebelman, enclosed is a copy of the
Yurchenko news conference.
Office of Legislative Liaison
Enclosure
Distribution:
Orig., - Addressee (w/enc)
OIL Record "
1 - OIL Chrono (w/o enc)
OBSOLETE
LETE
FORM 1533 O
'3 ?3-79 EDITIONS.
1 - ITCW Ch (w/o enc)
LD/O dpt (20 Dec 85)
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RADIO TV REPORTS, INC.
4701 WILLARD AVENUE, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND 20815 [phone]
DATE November 4, 1985 5:30 P.M. CITY Washington, D.C.
SUBJECT Vitaly Yurchenko News Conference
NEWSMAN: We are awaiting a news conference in
Washington where a man who is said to have been a former top
intelligence official for the KGB apparently -- and who has
reportedly defected to the West now apparently has redefected to
the Soviet Union. The Embassy has scheduled a news conference
shortly.
We're going to call on Bernard Shaw to help us sort
through this rather unusual and complicated story.
BERNARD SHAW: Quickly we go to the Soviet compound.
The man is Vitaly Yurchenko. Let's listen in.
MAN: We invited you to meet with Vitaly Yurchenko,
[unintelligible] diplomatic representative.
As is known, it was reported in a very sensational
manner by the U.S. mass media that Yurchenko allegedly came to
the U.S. by his own will and asked for political asylum. Later,
the State Department officially acknowledged that Mr. Yurchenko
was in this country.
What really happened with him, Vitaly Yurchenko will
tell you himself.
On my part, I would like only to note that the Soviet
Embassy has demanded repeatedly, on many occasions, that the
State Department organize a personal meeting of our representa-
tives with Vitaly Yurchenko. This issue was raised by us at
various levels, including the level of third Ambassadorto the
United States. However, we were constantly told that Vitaly
Yurcheko, himself, allegedly did not want to have such a meeting.
OFFICES IN: WASHINGTON D.C. ? NEW YORK ? LOS ANGELES ? CHICAGO ? DETROIT ? AND OTHER PRINCIPAL CITIES
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A this moment, the Soviet charge' d'affaires is at the
State Department declaring a strong protest with regard to the
actions of the American authorities toward Vitaly Yurchenko.
Now I'll give the floor to Vitaly Yurchenko.
VITALY YURCHENKO: First of all, I'd like to confirm
that I am really Vitaly Yurchenko, but not Durchenko, as some of
you published [unintelligible].
And this press conference organized on my request
because I'd like to inform American press and American media
about situation [unintelligible) experiences, about how I feel
with such situation.
And the second reason why I'd like to have this press
conference, some weeks ago Mr. Gerber (?)] -- I know that
some of you acquainted with the name. He is the chief of the
Soviet Department [unintelligible], he has told me, "Alex" --
Alex, of course, is the name [unintelligible]. And he told me,
"Alex, we've received many requests from our media, from our
media, from NBC, ABC companies, and they'd like to speak with
you."
I told him, answered him, "Mr. Gerber, I am not ready
now, but I'll try to do all my best to have such meeting."
Therefore [unintelligible words]. I am sure he is very
busy now at headquarter. And -I hope my [unintelligible], he will
confirm you [unintelligible] give you chance [unintelligible
phrases].
And the second thing I'd like to tell you at the very
beginning, that during this three horrible months for me, I
didn't have any chance to speak Russian. I was explained that
they say there's a shortage of Russian [unintelligible]. And
therefore, all three months, I speak English. From that point of
view [unintelligible] language, knowledge of language
[unintelligible words].
And therefore I prefer now to speak Russian. And I hope
that our translator will help you understand me, maybe
[unintelligible words], quick solutions. But I hope
[unintelligible words]. I'll speak Russian.
I prepared this speech myself. Don't worry. It is
written, but I prepared it myself [unintelligible]. I am third
day. And today, first time, I didn't feel practically any
headache in the morning when I wake up. And therefore I wrote it
myself, but I not [unintelligible] some ideas. I'll read it.
[Reads in Russian]
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TRANSLATOR: Since in the past month...
SHAW: Vitaly Yurchenko speaking in his native tongue,
Russian, appearing here live at the Soviet compound in
Washington. The man U.S. intelligence officials say was the
number five man in the Soviet KGB, reportedly asking for asylum
at the Vatican, ending up in American hands, reportedly fingering
some members of the Central Intelligence Agency in the United
States and saying that they were spies. He is now holding a news
conference.
You heard him say that -- he described the past three
months as horrible. He wasn't able to speak Russian.
TRANSLATOR: ...while on a business trip in Italy, I was
forcibly abducted in Rome by some unknown persons. Unconscious,
I was brought from Italy to the USA.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Here, I was kept in isolation, forced to
take some drugs, and denied the possibility to get in touch with
official Soviet representatives.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Only on November the 2nd, due to the
momentary lapse of attention on the part of the persons watching
me, I was able to break out to freedom and come to the Soviet
Embassy.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Later, after some rest, I will answer in
detail in Moscow the questions which might interest the
representatives of the press.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: At the moment, my only wish is to returnas
soon as possible to my country, to my family, kin, and friends.
YURCHENKO: But now I am ready to answer your questions.
MAN: Ladies and gentlemen, as Vitaly Yurchenko just
said, he will answer some of your questions.
Just two requests to you. One is, please, identify
yourself. And second is, just remember that for the first time
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in three months he just had only one decent sleep, decent night
of sleep. So, carrying that in mind, please.
Yes, please.
Mr. Yurchenko, are we to believe that in the three
months that you were in the hands of the American intelligence
authorities, that you did not in any way provide secret
information of Soviet intelligence and other activities?
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: In the period when I was conscious and
controlled my behavior, I'd have not passed any secret
information.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: When they were talking with me when I was
not drugged, they were telling me that I came to them, came to
the Americans myself, on my own will, on my own accord. While
initially they were telling me that, later another group of
people which were talking with me started telling me that some
friends brought me over to them.
I did not believe them. I was convinced that they were
deceiving me.
When later they started giving me some facts of a
business nature, I nevertheless did not believe that I passed any
secret information to the Americans.
When I was under -- when I was drugged, with the use of
some special drugs, I don't know what I was saying or what I was
doing.
The thing which I want to mention outright is that I was
threatened.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: When I was conscious and when they were
talking with me, they were telling me that, "Well, you see.
Everyone thinks that you're a traitor." And they showed me
documents which were written in my hand, where they -- they were
saying that they had recordings of my conversations.
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them.
they
thing
will
Nevertheless,
They were trying
were saying, but
else. And they,
start to believe
I did not believe. I did not believe
to say that everybody will believe what
will not believe me if I would say some-
I think, were hoping that eventually I
that I have indeed -- that I had indeed
of secret nature.
passed some information
YURCHENKO: Please. Ask CIA officials what kind secret
information I gave them. It would be very interesting for me to
know, because I don't know.
PATRICK TYLER: I'd like to address that, Mr. Yurchenko.
I'm Patrick Tyler with the Washington Post.
Mr. Yurchenko...
YURCHNEKO: What is the name? Excuse me?
TYLER: Patrick Tyler.
YURCHENKO: Oh. I see gentleman. I received your
SHAW: Vitaly Yurchenko, at this news conference still
going on at the Soviet compound, saying that at some point he was
forcibly abducted in Rome and brough unconscious to the United
States. He says that he was kept in isolation and forced to take
drugs. He denies -- he says he was denied contact with the
Soviet Embassy. He says that on November 2nd he broke out to
freedom, as the translator put it, and came to the Soviet
Embassy. He says he only wants to return to his country, his
family, and his kin. And he says, in response to that question
from correspondent John Scali: In the three months, did you
provide intelligence information to the United States --
Yurchenko says, "When I was conscious, I did not pass any secret
information. They told me I came to the Americans myself, on my
own accord. When I was drugged, I don't know what I was doing or
saying." He says, "I was threatened."
We should put point out, to put this in context, some of
the other things that we've been reporting on, and you'll recall
them very quickly as we refresh. Keep in mind the Soviet sailor
who was aboard the ship off the coast of Louisiana and the
statement, the disclosure by President Reagan that he was
prepared at one point to use force if the American officials
could not interrogate the sailor, who twice jumped ship. Keep in
mind the Soviet soldier who went to the American Embassy in
Kabul, Afghanistan.
And now we're going to listen in to this translation.
REPORTER: ...CIA agent named Edward Lee Howard, who
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reportedly met with KGB officials in Vienna in October 1984 and
made an arrangement where he would receive money to provide
information to the KGB. That information was said to include the
identity of a CIA agent in Moscow named Pokachev (?).
Could you address that, Mr. Yurchenko?
YURCHENKO: I'd like to tell you. Very short answer.
First [unintelligible] I recognized name Howard,
Pokachev, and so on and so on, from newspapers. And they brought
this newspaper. And all team, who is psychologist and such, they
were looking at me as we are looking at the zoo at animals and
waiting for my reaction. They were sure that I would be shocked
that really I betrayed such important agents, and so on.
I don't know what is going [unintelligible]. I swear
you. [Unintelligible] Howard [unintelligible] name Howard first
time I heard at safehouse at Coventry. If you send some people
now there...
YURCHENKO: I'll tell you. It's not my secret
[unintelligible]. You see Fredericksburg, 22 miles, Route 17,
there is Coventry [unintelligible]. It's 50 -- 500 acres lot.
And there they first...
[Confusion of voices]
YURCHENKO: There, near the lake, [unintelligible]
stores, buildings, they put their special system better than you
see at any prison in United States of America, some laser-beam
devices [unintelligible]. And they kept all times six persons
there.
And there, you can have some answers.
REPORTER: I don't quite understand your answer on the
question of Howard, on the question of Mr. Howard.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
SHAW: The reference to Edward Howard. Edward Howard is
a former CIA agent who reportedly was fingered by this man,
Yurchenko. And when the FBI went to find Mr. Howard out in the
Southwest, he had gone. At last word, we were told that Mr.
Howard was somewhere in Finland.
TRANSLATOR: ...the name of Howard for the first time
from the newspapers.
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[Man speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: The question by the Tass representative,
Alexander Shalnev (?): How, from your personal view, do you
regard the fact that the monstrous crime which was committed
against you and which amounts to a violation of your every human
and personal right was perpetrated by the same people and by the
same authorities who, louder than others, speak about the need to
upholed human rights?
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: This is a typical example of lies and
hypocrisy.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: You know, several minutes ago, before they
started the press conference, they again showed what is happening
with that sailo Medvid.
[Yurchneko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And your representatives were talking quite
loudly that -- were saying quite loudly that they were trying to
safeguard human rights.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And at the same time, you can witness what
has happened to me.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: I asked Mr. Thompson, whom I have mentioned
several times, "Aren't you ashamed?" There is such an acute
problem nowadays as the problem of terrorism. There is also the
issue of human rights. And in all those cases, you apply double
standards.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: In the case of Medvid, you were threatening
that you were going to use weapons in order to have a second -- a
third conversation with him in order to find out whether he
really wanted to stay here.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And at the same time, I'm asking you to
arrange a meeting for me with a representative of the Soviet
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Embassy, and you are denying me such a meeting.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Moreover, wwhen I undestood that they were
not going to arrange a meeting for me with a representative of
the embassy and they were threatening me that I'd come to a bad
end, I started hoping that maybe I could have a meeting with a
representative of the State Department, or maybe with you.
You know, if I could only be sure that I would meet an
honest newsman, I would probably tell things with him, if I were
sure that it was actually a journalist but not someone else.
They have brought to meetings with me people who were not
actually what they were telling me they were. And I could never
be sure that in actual fact you would not be sitting on some
other villa.
BOB WOODWARD: I'm Bob Woodward from the Washington
Is your business spying, intelligence?
YURCHENKO: First of all, it is widely known I worked
here five years in Washington as a security officer for the
embassy. It is [unintelligible] secrets. And therefore it's the
answer to your question.
But, you know, if you are speaking about spying
business, I don't give -- I'm not going to make any comments
about spying business. We're not speaking...
WOODWARD: ...people in this country that do the same.
YURCHENKO: Yeah. But I have no comment
[unintelligible].
WOODWARD: Did you meet with Mr. Casey,...
YURCHENKO: Yeah.
WOODWARD: ...head of the CIA?
YURCHENKO: Yeah.
WOODWARD: Will you tell us about that meeting, when it
was, what he asked you about, what you said?
YURCHENKO: I am not sure exactly whether your President
know about my situation or not. I'm not sure. Because this
team, so-called team, my torturers, as I call them, they -- it's
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very secretive, it seems to me, very separated group. And they
prefer, you see, such information. They're working -- it's my
impression -- they're working many years as a team. They know
each other very well. But [unintelligible words].
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: At the same time, it's quite clear that
this is a CIA team.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: At the same time, I'd like to stress that
[Technical difficulties]
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: So, when I was told that I was going to
meet with Mr. Casey, they spent two days preparing me for that
meeting.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
SHAW: You're watching CNN live coverage from the Soviet
compound in Washington with a man who claims the United States
took him prisoner and forced him to come to the United States.
He claims he was not a defector to the West. And now he is
explaining all of this.
TRANSLATOR: ...I might not be happy about the
circumstances I was in, but I was not supposed to show that I was
protesting that activity. Well, I knew that in certain intervals
they were giving me drugs, and they gave me drugs also several
hours before that meeting with Mr. Casey, but a lesser amount of
drugs than was usual.
So I do remember that meeting. But everything seems to
have happened as if in a fog.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: So if I make some mistake, please ask Mr.
Casey to verify it.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: I remember that I was brought to the main
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building of the CIA Headquarters in Langley.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And that I was taken by elevator to the
seventh floor, to Mr. Casey's office.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: There was in the office Mr. Gerber, one of
Mr. Casey's deputies, and Charlie Thompson.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: But I was in a condition, obviously, that
was the point of the strongest effect of the drug, that when Mr.
Casey entered the office, I at first did not recognize him.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: For that reason, Thompson gave me a push
and said, "Please say hello to Mr. Casey. This is Mr. Casey."
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: I rose, greeted him. And later we went to
Mr. Casey's dining room and we had dinner in his dining room.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Later, I have only vague recollections of
the conversation, but it was a kind of a general conversation of
big policy issues regarding the summit, things which they usually
write about in the newspapers.
REPORTER: [Inaudible]... you have been abducted by a
goernment agency. [Unintelligible] as a case of state-sponsored
terrorism?
[Translation and Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: I believe that, first, it is a typical
example of hypocrisy, and, second, a typical example of
state-sponsored terrorism.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: But the representatives of the U.S.
Government -- and I believe that the level of Mr. Gerber, who is
the chief of the Soviet desk of the CIA, is a governmental level
-- they always try to show that they're sort of not in this
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thing, that they are somewhere on the fringes.
When I was telling him that I felt bad and that what
they were doing was ruthless, he was saying to me that it was not
rally his business, that he was only conducting political
conversations with me. And the same thing with Mr. Casey, who
was evading effectual conversation about my case, and rather was
dealing in generalities.
It was my impression that handling me was a group of
people somewhat separate from them.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: What other examples of state-sponsored
terrorism can there be, when I had a diplomatic passport, I was
visiting another country, and I was brought over here, somehow,
and was not given an opportunity for a meeting? What other
examples can there be of state-sponsored terrorism?
YURCHENKO: I'd like to tell some words about.
[Unintelligible sentence] They told the that I am not alone, and
they told me -- I don't know exactly who, maybe one or two, they
tried to scare me. And they say, "If you don't agree to
cooperate with us, you will finish your life as one Polish big
[unintelligible], who is now crazy, crazy. He is now pose as
Alexander II. He is crazy because he is making orders, enter,
and so on. It will be your [unintelligible]."
And therefore you should maybe check what people
defected from Polish country and what they are now. Maybe one of
them who say the same: make publication, he is defector, he is
traitor. And at the same time, he is honest man who is the
victim of CIA.
Could you elaborate on how you escaped from what you
said was a safehouse 22 miles from Fredericksburg, 500 acres, six
people guarding you, drugging you? It all sounds implausible.
Is it possible -- someone else has told us you were given a great
deal of freedom and you were not well-guarded?
[Translation]
YURCHENKO: I'm not going to give you any details
because maybe after this press conference, maybe one who defected
now is sitting in the room and seeing the TV, and maybe tomorrow,
maybe he'll find the way to escape.
But I prefer to speak in Russian.
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[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Well, I found myself in a really tough
situation. I have a 16-year-old son, and he had his problems
with his studies and with his behavior. Some of the comrades who
worked with me here in the embassy, they're aware of that. And I
used to tell him there can be no situation with no way out. If
you really think about it, you can always find a way out, of any
situation.
YURCHENKO: And second, I'm very proud that I managed to
escape. But I don't tell details.
SCHAKE: We were told, and I can't vouch for the
accuracy of this, that you, in fact, had been cooperating. You
disapproved of the fact that so much information was going
public. You did not like the way you were being handled. You
didn't think people were listening to you. And so you decided to
come back here.
[Translation]
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: You are repeating word-by-word-by-word what
I was told by Mr. Gerber.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Are you familiar with him?
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Do you work for him?
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Because he was telling me that they could
give the press any -- the media any information they want.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Well, just the last case, the information
they had in the newspapers about Mr. Shadrin, that allegedly he
was killed. I asked him, I asked Gerber, "Aren't you ashamed? I
will be taken to court when...
TRANSLATOR: ...to the American court when they have a
suit against CIA here in the court on that subject. Because it
seems that I'm going to be the only witness for that."
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And he told me, "Don't worry. Everything will --'we'll
settle everything. The main thing is to influence people.
MAN: I think we -- I hope we satisfied your curiosity.
This will be the last question.
MAN: [Inaudible] First of all, on behalf of all the
Soviet people who are here, I'd like to congratulate you on your
return home.
My question is fivefold.
Almost a year ago, there was an exactly, or an almost
exactly case like that. Oleg Bitov, the correspondent for the
Literatura Gazetta (?) was kidnapped in Rome, brought to the
United States, then to England, and managed to escape from them.
I'd like to hear a comment from you on this.
And my second question is whether your abductors in the
CIA ever told you anything at all about your family. As you
mentioned, you have a wife and your son.
YURCHENKO: Two questions. But once we were out of
Washington, I saw your press conference and I remember your face.
You are [unintelligible] person. And therefore I answer on two
of your questions. And I was very proud of Soviet reporters and
journalists because -- phew. I'm sorry because it's sometimes
difficult to speak. One thing, you see, when you are in such a
situation that you have this, you can do nothing. They can kill
you. You can -- anything you can do.
Say about if you publish anything, nobody pay attention
what you're protesting. The only way, even if I tried to commit
suicide, they will give me such chance to escape. Because 24
hours, I even -- excuse me. When I was sleeping, they prohibited
even to close the door. The door should be closed. And in the
next room was sitting such fat, quite stupid -- excuse me --
non-emotional person who is following the order, only following
the orders. It seems to me specially -- sometimes I thought that
I was among crazy persons, you see. And if I tried to close the
door, he opened the door and sitting TV, listening, but not to
disturb me [unintelligible].
And therefore, practically during these three months, I
practically don't have normal rest or sleep [unintelligible].
Excuse me. But when I go [unintelligible] bathroom and I try to
-- they yell at me to close the door. But when I try to look,
immediately I hear sound that's the same as this. Therefore it
was very difficult situation.
And therefore, from about Bitov, I read only newspapers
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about Bitov. I don't know nothing. But I can now understand
exactly. And I can now understand Antonov, who is Bulgarian now
in Italy, the same Italy. Bitov was kidnapped in Italy. I don't
know, maybe they have special team there who are supplying them
with human materials for such purposes. I don't know. Bitov,
Antonov there, and maybe other cases in Italy, first of all.
And now, after such situation, I don't -- I am sure that
many of people who are living here in America from Soviet Union,
from [unintelligible] Socialist countries, they [unintelligible]
same situation and they labeled as defectors, traitor. But
really, it's the victims of CIA.
[Translation]
YURCHENKO: No any words. No any words. No about
family, about nothing, absolutely nothing. I was in total
isolation. [Unintelligible sentence] When I tried to approach
to the phone -- was phone there -- during months when I was in
good memory, I studied them, their behavior, their strong/weak
point. I know them from psychological point of view, especially
the last three weeks, when they give me more relaxed regime,
because they tried -- I'll tell you last words about it.
They tried...[speaks in Russian].
TRANSLATOR: When they realized that they could not
break me in that manner, maybe the fact that we are going to have
a summit saved me.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: They tried to [unintelligible] me for the
past three weeks.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russia]
TRANSLATOR: And they were telling me that, anyway,
"they are regarding you as a traitor. You see that there were
things written about you in the newspapers."
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: "If you flee and return to the Soviet
Union, anyway, prison and death is awaiting you."
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: "We'll send the KGB all the materials we
got from you, and you will be jailed there."
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]...Tom Fountain (?),
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Special Assistant to Casey for Administration.. .[Speaks in
Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And here that man three times brought to me
a contract which they suggested I sign.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And according to that contract, I was
supposed to do nothing. The only thing I was supposed to do was
to live and keep silent in the United States.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And I would be one of the consultants.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: The points in that -- the items included in
that contract, I was supposed to get one million dollars tax-free
beginning November 1. That is a down payment.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And to the end of my life, they were going
to pay me annually 62.5 thousand dollars. And that sum would
grow, taking into account the inflation.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Besides, they would provide me with free
medical care.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And besides, they were going to give me all
the furniture they had stacked in that three-floor building. The
total price of that furniture was supposed to be $48,000.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: Tom Fountain even calculated that -- well,
that was an unlimited kind of a contract till the end of my life,
that I was going to be earning $180,000 a year, which is more
than the income of the U.S. President after he retires.
[Yurchenko speaks in Russian]
TRANSLATOR: And paragraph 6 was that the contract was
going to be valid until I leave for some foreign country or do
some damage to the interests of the United States.
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Though I did not sign that contract, I believe that that
- final provisions make that offer invalid.
REPORTER: Sir, how can we ask how you're feeling now?
[Confusion of voices]
YURCHENKO: I'd like better to answer the questions, how
I'm feeling now. Because I immediately understand. I don't
know, because they're trying -- I know your side now better than
reading in a thousand books about you, see. Why such question,
how do you feel now? Maybe I think maybe again because many
things I told CIA at least hundred times, "Gentlemen, you behave
like crazy persons. The Soviet side never, according to my
knowledge, never use such barbaric methods. It is not the war.
You are not cold war now. Why are you so?"
Answer: "No, no. We don't believe you," you see.
And therefore, for them it was impossible. They're
victims of over-suspiciousness, their own suspiciousness. They
are sometimes -- it's illness, you see.
And therefore they tried -- okay, if some people -- for
example, when I told them that I am not going to sign, they say,
"It seems to us you are maybe fanatic, but it means you're
crazy."
And one other point. They begin -- you see, when they
saw -- because immediately rumors of all the team got spread that
I am such rich man, [unintelligible] to sign, and even begin to
respect me more, see.
Of course, I understood they say -- and one day when I
was see one young boy from Security Department from CIA put his
feet on the good polished cocktail table, I asked him, "What are
you doing?" Because from my point of view, to sit together in
some [unintelligible] and to put hands -- I mean, really, it's
not polite, because he has gun, open shorts, and put his feet on
the table. I said, "What are you doing?"
And he -- and it's mentality. He understood that I'm
worrying not about behavior as a man [unintelligible], you see,
he is not gentleman.
But he said, "Oh, I understand. It's [unintelligible]."
You see? He was -- he decided to [unintelligible] worrying about
because they know all the [unintelligible], all the agreement
[unintelligible]. Your furniture [unintelligible], and
immediately he [unintelligible] and take piece of paper and begin
to polish....
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MAN: Thank you.
YURCHENKO: And therefore, don't worry...
MAN: The conference is over. Thank you. Thank you
very much.
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